No Room For Regrets
by LeanneG
Summary: my entry for the 'till the end of the world' contest. AU, AH, rated M for potty mouth


**No Room for Regrets **

**My entry for 'till the world ends'**

** No copy right infringement intended**

**big thanks to my beta kimmie40, without her, i'd have no entry**

**R&R, let me know what you think!**

EPV

The first thing I notice when I wake up is my head hurt. "Ugh…" I lift my head up from the basement floor and look around. The lights are out so I can't see anything. I can feel the floor rumble off and on with vibrations along with plaster and debris landing on the floor and me.

Today was supposed to be the end of days. I'm not sure why I'm still alive. Well technically, it's supposed to end tonight but I figured I'd hole up down here for a while. The screams and cries of my neighbors were making me want to slash my wrists. I have no family and none of the other tenants had come down here looking for safety. The earthquakes have been getting pretty strong. They should have leveled the building. There are no windows in this portion of the basement so I'm not sure what outside looks like.

I slowly drag myself to my feet. I'm dizzy and disoriented. I have to catch the wall before I fall back to the floor. Sharp pain hits me near my left temple. I grimace and feel for a wound. My fingers come back wet so I must have hit hard when the world shook. I use my sleeve and wipe my face. Blood in the eyes stings like a bitch. I feel my way towards where I think the stairs are. I've left a flash light and a few supplies there along with my sleeping bag. I honestly didn't think I'd have to use them. I find my things and click on the flash light.

There are huge cracks running up the walls and the ceiling looks bowed. Maybe the building did come down. Another rumble makes my teeth rattle as more plaster and rock tumble to the floor. I cough as my eyes water from all the dust.

I'm not sure what I should do. I was in a place of acceptance that I'd die alone down here, and now… I'm at a loss. I'm pretty sure being crushed to death may actually suck. I point the light at the stairs. They look solid. Another round of vibrations makes the support beams above me moan. Fuck it, I'm getting out.

I pack my backpack with the few things I have and make my way up the stairs. The door isn't locked, there really wasn't a point. I cover my mouth with a bandana, take a deep breath and open the door.

It squeaks like it hasn't been opened in years, not hours. Where there should be a hallway is rubble and murky, diluted moonlight. I'm unbelievably lucky I can get through to the parking lot. It takes effort to climb over what used to be my apartment.

Ash is falling like snow from a neighboring building being engulfed in flames. It's sticking to my eyelashes as I walk slowly to where my car should be. The ground rumbles. I stop abruptly and wait for the shaking to stop. When it does, I slowly continue walking. The world is not quiet though, I don't hear people so much as blended chaos. Dogs barking, car alarms, rubble shifting. Then I hear it.

"Oh, god. I'm gonna die here." The voice is barely above a murmur. It's coming from the front seat of a crushed car. A light post from the parking lot has pushed the roof flat with the body of the hatchback.

I switch directions and slowly make my way over to what's left of the car. "Hello? You okay in there?" There's glass everywhere. Every window exploded when the lamp post landed. I'm close enough now to see movement. I freeze in place when the ground starts shifting again. It takes a few minutes this time instead of seconds before the ground settles.

"Hi….yeah I'm okay. Nothing hurts but I think I'm pinned," it's a woman's voice. She sounds strong but resigned.

I look around for I don't know what. I'm stuck with a moral dilemma. Do I walk away knowing it won't be long before we're all dead or do I try to dig her out?

I shake my head and sigh heavily walking towards the car. It looks like it may be quite easy to pull her out though, not really easy for her to climb out without help.

"Okay, listen lady, I want you to pull your coat over as much of your face as you can. Can you do that?" she shifts a little and the sound of shattered window glass falling all around her makes the coat over her face make sense to her.

"Yeah, I can. Hold on." There's a beat of time. "Alright, it's as good as it's gonna get, I'm ready."

I reach in, my coat catching the edge of the window and tearing a little. I grab a hold of her and slowly drag her out. She's tiny so it's not much strain. After a few careful twists, she's out and steady on the pavement. I look at my coat and frown a bit. If the world wasn't already over I'd probably be pretty pissed. Just then the ground starts to shake with renewed vigor. I find my center and stay upright; the girl I just pulled from the smashed car falls gracelessly to her ass. "Fuck!" she hisses. I barely heard her over the noise from what I think is another building falling.

Once the ground calms I reach my hand out to help her up. "I'm Edward."

She rights herself with my help. She's brushing her pants off looking down. "I'm Bella."

Her voice is quiet. So I have to strain to hear her. She finally looks up. This girl's gorgeous in that girl next door kind of way. If I had a type, she'd be it. I give her a nod and a smile.

"So, were you headed somewhere? Family waiting for you?" she shakes her head no and sighs.

"I don't have any family left. I was invited to a goodbye party by a few friends only to find out when I got there it was a creepy Kool-Aid drinking, nut-job party. I have no interest in going before the earth does."

She shakes her head and frowns sadly. "I was trying to get to lookout hill by the ocean. Do you know it?"

I nod my head. I used to go there a lot when I was a kid. Suddenly, it hits me how perfect that place would be to spend my last night. "I have a car, let's go."

Bella quirks her eyebrow at me. "You wanna take me?" I nod at her and smile.

"I can't think of anywhere else I would wanna be when this finally ends." She looks thoughtful, then smiles at me and nods back.

We climb in my car and it starts the first time I try it. That, in itself is odd. I say quiet thanks and throw it in gear. "You can turn the radio on if you want Bella." I glance at her. She grimaces and shakes her head no.

"The radio just plays the same recordings over and over. If it's not the national goodbye, it's the over religious nuts praying in a loop. Fuck that. You got any good CD's in here?"

The ground shakes with mini quakes the entire ride there. Some just small tremors others shake the car so bad I have to pull over. There aren't any other cars on the roads as we drive. We avoid a bunch of huge gaps and cracks in the roadways, weaving this way and that. Driving on the shoulder sometimes. One gap we almost fall into.

We finally make it to the gate outside lookout hill. It appears locked. I park the car just outside it and get out to see if I can get the gate open. It's a rusty old master lock so I figure screw it and get back in my car.

"How do you feel about damaging state property?" I wiggle my eyebrows at her and Bella giggles at me like I just said the funniest thing she's heard in years.

I throw the car in reverse and back up a bit before throwing it in drive and flooring it. We make it through the gate with a very anticlimactic collision. The gate pops open and we just keep driving.

The paved road becomes a dirt cart path after a while and I can just catch a hint of ocean air. I can feel a tremor start and glance at Bella. She seems calm, maybe at peace even. The shaking intensifies and I slow the car.

We're crawling along as the ground starts to shake almost violently. I stop the car just in case. As I throw the car in park, a groaning noise breaks out louder than the shaking and vibrations. Suddenly a wall of trees to our left begin to rise like the ocean does in a tidal wave. It's so hard to see what's really going on. It's close to midnight and we're in thick woods. When I hear the distinct sound of trees snapping, Bella yelps and I throw the car in gear and gun it. We barely make it by the wall of trees as they finally begin raining down on their sides. We're thrown around in the car as I drive like I'm possessed. I don't want to die this way; being crushed to death by a spruce.

After several long minutes, the ground starts to quiet. I'm shaking from all the adrenaline and Bella's softly weeping into her hands. "Do you mind if I smoke, Bella?" My voice is shaky and I'm fumbling in my jacket pocket trying to fish out my butts. She shakes her head and looks up at me

"Jesus, Edward…. can I have one too!" It comes out in a hysterical giggle sob. I quickly stop the car and reach for her. I hold her almost desperately. I don't even know this girl. We're both shaking. Her hair smells nice so I bury my face in it. She clings to me just as hard. After a few minutes she seems to calm some so I reluctantly let her go.

"We're almost there, okay?" she sniffles and nods. We both light cigarettes though it's obvious she doesn't really smoke. I don't say anything. I put the car back in gear and slowly start driving to the make shift parking area.

We finally reach our destination without any more traumas. I pull the car to the side and shut it off. The ground starts to vibrate again. I take a deep breath. Bella grabs my hand and holds it tightly. This tremor seems mild and only lasts a few minutes. We sit in silence for a while before I break it.

"You wanna go sit at the top of the hill? I have a few blankets and supplies in the back. I bet the ocean looks fantastic with all the churning."

"Sure Edward, that sounds perfect. What time is it?" I look at my watch. "It's almost 1 A.M."

She nods, "they said the meteor would pass by around 2:45." I don't say anything in response.

The meteor that'll end our planet isn't even going to hit us. From all the scientific bullshit, it was discovered that the magnetic pull coming from this flying death rock is the equivalent of our sun. Basically, if it doesn't tug us out of our orbit, it'll rip the planet in half. Either way we all die.

For the last week earthquakes have gotten progressively stronger and the tectonic plates have been moving far more violently and more often than ever before. The decay of civilization was the worst though. All the bible crazy zealots, screaming it was our own fault. Sin they preached, sin did this. All the scientists screaming different theories right back at them. None of it mattered really.

Mass suicides started almost before the dooms day news was given. Me? I just sat looking at the TV for a while then made a sandwich. I always handle stress a little inappropriately.

Bella's door creaking open snaps me out of my thoughts and I quickly follow suit and get out. We gather a few things and make our way to the big hill, slash sand dune. The ocean is violent. Violent like you see in a hurricane, even though the skies are clear.

"It's almost beautiful, Edward." Bella's words are soaked in awe.

"I completely agree, love."

I set up the blankets into a little nest. I grabbed a box of crackers and my flask from my backpack and wave Bella over to our set up.

We talked and laughed. We shared our wishes, dreams and fears. She told me about her family and how her dad died. I told her about my family and the accident that took my parents. The flask was long ago empty and the box of crackers left untouched. We did our best to ignore the frequent shaking. Every so often we'd here trees falling in the forest around us.

"You know Bella, dear, I think the one thing I regret most is never letting anyone in after my parents died." I'm slurring a bit from the absinth. Bella looks to be on the verge of falling over.

"You know Edward, dear." She pauses and winks at me, it looks more like a squint and she's slurring just as much as me. "You and I aren't so different. We woulda made life-long friends…. you and me." She's smiling at me like I'm the moon.

"I wanna kiss you right now, Edward." I break out in a very unmanly giggle and fall on my back.

Bella takes this as an invitation and straddles my middle. Before I can brace myself she's kissing me. It's soft and surprisingly sweet. Her hair has fallen in a curtain around us. She pulls back slightly with a completely serious face. Her glassy eyes are hooded though not from exhaustion.

"That was really nice, Bella. I wouldn't be opposed to doing that until the end." I'm completely serious. That kiss, was like fireworks. I feel an ache in my chest that I've just now met this precious thing, this girl. She's an angel.

She smirks at me and comes in for another kiss. We both hum at the same time, then she starts giggling, pulling away.

"You're pretty great, Bella. I'm glad I met you." She lies down on her side and cuddles into me.

"What time is it Edward?" she's fighting a yawn as she speaks. It comes out as a mumble. I try to focus on my watch. When I finally make out what it says my breath catches.

"It's 2:40 Bella." She nods her head against my chest and holds me a little tighter. I'm at peace in this moment. I always thought I'd be angry when my time came, but I don't feel all that unfulfilled.

There's a moment of total calm before our end. The wind stops, the ocean calms and recedes. The tremors cease and the stars seem almost brighter. I have a beautiful girl in my arms and I have no regrets.


End file.
